I just received an "Oops!" email from our beloved, prestigious public television station. When I read the subject line, "Oops! Correction for Rick Steves Preview Screening and Q+A!" I instantly knew what the oops must be: a date error. Indeed,...

Yesterday while coaching a scientist on her writing, I suggested that she consider simplifying this wording: “The results of this trial may elucidate the most efficacious intervention strategies . . .” Can you guess which words I thought were overly...

esterday while coaching a scientist on her writing, I suggested that she consider simplifying this wording: “The results of this trial may elucidate the most efficacious intervention strategies . . .” Can you guess which words I thought were overly...

"Without realizing it, we're fluent in the language of pictures, says illustrator Christoph Niemann. In a charming talk packed with witty, whimsical drawings, Niemann takes us on a hilarious visual tour that shows how artists tap into our emotions and minds — all without words."

"Beyond the professional rewards and social approval of writing thank-yous, sending thank-yous makes everyone smile: you, the writer, for having expressed your gratitude, and the recipient for being remembered and appreciated. Thank-yous help people feel valued."

"Below are tips to help you write mighty thank-yous that bring smiles to all. If you have others, please share them in the comments."

"The customer service mistake that nearly every business makes, over and over again, is to treat every customer the same. It's understandable that they would fall into this way of doing business, because the alternative-treating every customer as an individual-is more complicated and challenging than pretending that one size fits all."

"Here are just a few of the ways customers are different, and that require you to treat them differently: . . ."

As a business writing expert, I should have known that I'd get the wrong response. I had written the email in a way that was easy for me but misleading for my reader, a woman named Lea. Requesting a tour...

As a business writing expert, I should have known that I'd get the wrong response. I had written the email in a way that was easy for me but misleading for my reader, a woman named Lea. Requesting a tour...

"This kind of discussion is all about degrees of certainty. In other words: how sure you are about something. It’s important to know, or at least to guess, how certain something is. How else can you plan? How else can you decide the right course of action? And just like other common topics of discussion, English has many idioms for expressing certainty. In today’s lesson, we’re going to look at some of these expressions."

"We’ll hear a conversation between Maria, Tom, and Gavin, who work for a company that makes mobile apps for children. The three colleagues are talking about several new ideas being considered in the company. More specifically, they’re discussing how certain they are about the potential for each app."

"This kind of discussion is all about degrees of certainty. In other words: how sure you are about something. It’s important to know, or at least to guess, how certain something is. How else can you plan? How else can you decide the right course of action? And just like other common topics of discussion, English has many idioms for expressing certainty. In today’s lesson, we’re going to look at some of these expressions."

"We’ll hear a conversation between Maria, Tom, and Gavin, who work for a company that makes mobile apps for children. The three colleagues are talking about several new ideas being considered in the company. More specifically, they’re discussing how certain they are about the potential for each app."